Resources for Voters

EAC maintains the National Mail Voter Registration Form, which voters can use to register to vote and update their registration information. The form is available in seven languages.

EAC also provides voter guides in 11 languages and a variety of links to helpful resources for voters relating to registration, military and overseas voting, accessibility, and volunteering as a poll worker.

Voting System Testing and Certification

HAVA mandates that EAC accredit voting system test laboratories and certify voting equipment, marking the first time the federal government has offered these services to the states.

EAC is committed to running the program in a transparent manner, releasing voting system test plans and reports for the public to review and posting detailed information about the voluntary voting system guidelines, program policies, and related correspondence.

Election Management Resources

One of EAC's top priorities is providing assistance to election officials. We do this by issuing guidance, advisories and best practices to help officials comply with the Help America Vote Act and make other election administration improvements and enhancements.

Payments and Grants

EAC administers federal funding to improve the administration of U.S. elections as authorized by the Help America Vote Act. The commission also manages discretionary, competitive grant programs authorized by HAVA, including the HAVA College Program to recruit college students to serve as poll workers and the HAVA Mock Election Program, which supports activities to educate secondary students in the electoral process.

Research

EAC is responsible under the Help America Vote Act for collecting information about election administration issues and sharing that information with Congress, election officials and the public.

This section contains completed research and reports commissioned by EAC, information about EAC research in progress, and additional elections research issued by other organizations. Datasets are also available to download.

National Voter Registration Act

Voters can use the National Mail Voter Registration Form to register to vote, update registration information due to a change of name, make a change of address, or register with a political party.

The National Form also contains voter registration rules and regulations for each state and territory. For more information about registering to vote, contact your state election office. Read our Frequently Asked Questions for more information about the national form.

EAC Calls on Election Officials to Join the Exchange

Washington--The U.S. Election Assistance Commission announces the EAC Election Official Exchange, an online resource at eac.gov/exchange that helps local election officials connect and share best practices and knowledge.

By participating in the Exchange, any U.S. election official can call on a colleague for advice about virtually any administrative task they face, from testing voting equipment and training poll workers to creating an audit trail and conducting a recount.

“EAC is always looking for ways to further assist election officials as they struggle to maintain a high level of service to voters in the face of severe budget cuts. This is one cost effective yet substantive way we can help,” said EAC commissioner Donetta Davidson, who is the former secretary of state of Colorado.
EAC encourages any election official who is interested in sharing knowledge to sign up as a potential resource to the election community. The process is easy--it takes just a couple of minutes to enter a name and area(s) of expertise into the Exchange and join EAC in creating a resource that will save officials time without compromising quality.

During my decades of service as an election official I often found myself wanting to run an idea by a colleague who had travelled the same path before me. This resource makes it easier to establish those important connections. Best of all, it’s absolutely free” said Davidson.

The time commitment of the Exchange is minimal and can be shaped entirely by the volunteer. Exchanges are often done by phone, by e-mail or in person, depending on the preferences of the participants. To sign up for the Exchange, go here. Participation is limited to U.S. election officials. To view a list of election officials who have already signed up for the Exchange, go here. For additional information about the program, including how to participate, contact Donetta Davidson or Jeannie Layson at (202) 566-3100.

EAC is an independent commission created by the Help America Vote Act. EAC serves as a national clearinghouse and resource of information regarding election administration. It is charged with administering payments to states and developing guidance to meet HAVA requirements, adopting voluntary voting system guidelines, and accrediting voting system test laboratories and certifying voting equipment. It is also charged with developing and maintaining a national mail voter registration form. The two EAC commissioners are Gineen Bresso and Donetta Davidson. There are two vacancies on the commission.